Corner cap

ABSTRACT

The present invention is embodied in a corner cap construction for reinforcing shipping containers wherein the corner cap comprises a plurality of panels of multi-ply corrugated paperboard or the like which panels are folded adjacent one another in face-to-face contact and secured together without stitching, stapling, gluing or taping.

United States Patent [191 Goodsite [451 Jul 2, 1974 CORNER CAP [75] Inventor: James R. Goodsite, Sandusky, Ohio [73] Assignee: Westvaco Corporation, New York,

221 Filed: Mayll, 1971 21 Appl.No.: 142,366

Related U.S. Application Data [62] Division of Ser. No. 830,001, June 3, 1969, Pat. No.

[52] U.S. Cl. 229/14 C, 229/34 HW, 229/DIG. 1 [51] Int. Cl B65d 5/50 [58] Field of Search 229/14 C, DIG. 1, 34 HW [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,271,265

1/1942 Kirby 229/14 C UX 2,531,255 11/1950 Clarke 229/34 HW 2,707,587 5/1955 Wittstein 229/34 R 2,950,556 8/1960 Larios 229/34 HW UX FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 1,336,309 7/1963 France 229/14 C Primary Examiner-Leonard Summer [5 7] ABSTRACT The present invention is embodied in a corner cap construction for reinforcing shipping containers wherein the comer cap comprises a plurality of panels of multi-ply corrugated paperboard or the like which panels are folded adjacent one another in face-to-face contact and secured together without stitching, stapling, gluing or taping.

' 2 Claims, 2 Drawing Figures BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF INVENTION This invention relates to an improvement and simpli fication in corner cap construction and deals particularly with a corner cap configuration having a figure 9 shape in cross section, which may be placed between a heavy appliance or the like and the walls of a container to protect the appliance during transportation and shipment.

in the packaging of heavy appliances such as refrigerators, air conditioners, driers and the like, cushioning pads are usually provided between the appliance and the walls of the container to protect the appliance from being injured during transportation and storage. One type of pad commonly used comprises a series of strips of corrugated paperboard adhered together in face contact to form a pad of substantial thickness which is sufficiently compressible to prevent injury to the appli- I ance. Other pads take the form of foam-type rails or rigid fiberboard elements which are properly notched to conform to the contours of the product being shipped. While these pads are effective for their intended purpose, they require considerable time to assemble and use a substantial amount of material. It is an object of the present invention to provide a corner cap pad capable of providing the desired cushioning effect and which is simple to produce and which is very economical to manufacture. Moreover it is an object of this invention to provide a corner cap construction which serves as a spacing, retaining and stacking device in addition to its cushioning function.

A feature of the invention resides in the fact that the corner caps may be provided for the corners of the shipping container to protect the appliance and also to add vertical stacking strength to the container. When the appliance is provided with handles, knobs or other elements projecting outwardly from the surface thereof, in many cases the wall of the container must be spaced a substantial distance from the surface of the appliance itself. In such an event, the cushioning pad must be of very substantial thickness, or notched to clear the protrusions, in order to fill the space between the appliance and the container. It was found that by folding a sheet of corrugated paperboard of multi-ply thickness, to provide a series of connected layers having a typically figure 9 shape in cross section, a pad could be economically formed to fill the space between one wall of the container and a parallel wall of the ap pliancc. By staggering the fold lines in the corrugated blank it became possible to form flanges, or cushioning cells in the corner cap itself, for intimately hugging the contours of the appliance. The corner cap was then provided with integral securing means in the panels to hold the entire structure together. A pad so formed was accordingly substantially less expensive than apad built up of many thicknesses of corrugated board adhered together, or, than any of the other corner cap constructions previously deemed satisfactory.

Another feature of this invention is the provision of a novel blank assembly for a corner cap which is normally flat and which is cut and scored to be readily foldable to its useable figure 9configuration.

An additional feature of the present invention resides in the incorporation in the blank itself of means for locking the several panels of the corner cap together in its final configuration.

With the above and other objects in view that will hereinafter appear, the nature of the invention will be more clearly understood by reference to the following detailed description, the appended claims and the sev eral views illustrated in the accompanying drawing.

DESCRIPTION OF DRAWING FIG. 1 shows in blank form one embodiment of the present invention in the form of a corner cap; and,

FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of the corner cap of FIG. 1 completely assembled,

. DETAILED DESCRIPTION The corner cap of the present invention is formed from a single sheet of foldable sheet material, such as fiberboard and commonly multi-ply sections of corrugated paperboard, that is scored, cut and folded in a specific manner further described herein. The corner cap so constructed serves to function as an interpacking within a shipping containerto position and retain an article within the shipping container in spaced relationship with respect to the walls thereof.

FIG. 1 shows the corner cap construction in blank form. For this purpose the blank 100 is cut and scored to form panels substantially as shown in FIG. 1. The blank includes a common base panel 111 which has attached thereto a plurality of panels 113, 115, 1 17 and 119, at right angles to one another, which are separatedfrom one another by fold lines 112, 114, 116 and 118. The scored fold lines 112, 11-4, 116 and 118 each define the marginal edges of the panels which are folded to produce the cushioning cells shown in FIG. 2. The different panels are proportioned so that when all of the panels are folded along their respective fold lines, panels 111, and 119 lie parallel to and in face-to-face contact with one another. Further, panels 113 and 117 at each side of base 111, assume a parallel relationship with one another but separated by the width of panels 115 and 119. This final configuration when inserted in the respective corners of the shipping container as shown in FIG. 2, yields corner caps wherein the cushion cells have their internal faces 117 at right angles to one another. Panel 111 offers protection at the bottom of the article and thetwo right angle cushion cells position the article side walls an equal distance from the container side walls. Corner caps for this purpose would be positioned at each of the lower and upper corners of the article to protect the article top and bottom along with the respective side walls.

The novel locking means for each corner cap cushion is the same as that used in the FIG. I embodiment of applicants prior US. Pat. No. 3,613,985. Panel 111 includes a pair of cut outs 121 defined by cut lines 124-127, and, each is designed to cooperate with a tongue member 123 partially formed from the blank material in panels 115, 119 and the entirety of panel 117. The tongue member 123 in each cushion cell is inserted in, to frictionally engage the respective cut out 121 located in base panel 111 as described hereinbefore and as illustrated in FIG. 2.

The corner cap sodescribed utilizes the novel features of the present invention in a unique manner to satisfy a different application. In particular, the corner cap would be useful in the shipping of furniture as a three way cushioning pad, especially where projections on the furniture required considerable space to be filled. The fact that the blank for forming the corner cap could be shipped flat for erection at the point of 5 use would make it a desirable replacement for molded fiber or foam pieces which have a volume storage problem. Variations in horizontal clearances could be carried out by simply changing the dimensions of the panels as needed. The thickness of the common base panel 111 could be increased as desired by the addition of a hingedly connected panel to the free edge of panel 111 to be folded over or under.

It will further be understood by those skilled in the art that the drawing illustrates only one of the possible embodiments which this invention could take. If it was desired to support a particular article in even greater spaced relationship with respect to the shipping container walls, a plurality of additional panels could be provided while retaining the novel locking feature in each panel as described herein. It would also be possible to vary the spacing and heights of the article positioning cushioning cells or flanges to accommodate articles of different size and shape. Moreover, where the packaged article had a variety of protuberances, such as knobs, dials or corners, cutouts could be made in the blank to accommodate same without impairing the function of the corner cap. Other details of construction could also be altered without departing from the principles of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

c. each of said four distinct panels being folded to I form separate cushioning cells at the two adjacent sides of said first base panel wherein the first and third panels of each cushioning cell lie parallel and separated from one another while the fourth panel of each cushioning cell lies parallel and in face-toface contact with the first base panel; and,

d. an integral locking means formed from said panels, said locking means consisting of a pair of apertures formed in said first base panel and a pair of locking tabs, one cut from each of the second, third and fourth panels and hinged in the fourth panel of each cushioning cell, each locking tab being frictionally engaged within an aperture to retain the various panels of each cushioning cell in their assembled condition.

2. The corner cap of claim 1 wherein the cushioning cells are formed at right angles to one another and each has a substantially figure 9 cross sectional configuration. 

1. A cushioning member in the form of a corner cap formed from a single blank of foldable sheet material comprising: a. a first base panel; b. a plurality of independent and integral cushioning cell forming panels attached to each of two adjacent edges of said base panel, said cell forming panels being separated from one another along spaced and parallel fold lines to form four distinct panels having lateral widths of different dimensions; c. each of said four distinct panels being folded to form separate cushioning cells at the two adjacent sides of said first base panel wherein the first and third panels of each cushioning cell lie parallel and separated from one another while the fourth panel of each cushioning cell lies parallel and in face-to-face contact with the first base panel; and, d. an integral locking means formed from said panels, said locking means consisting of a pair of apertures formed in said first base panel and a pair of locking tabs, one cut from each of the second, third and fourth panels and hinged in the fourth panel of each cushioning cell, each locking tab being frictionally engaged within an aperture to retain the various panels of each cushioning cell in their assembled condition.
 2. The corner cap of claim 1 wherein the cushioning cells are formed at right angles to one another and each has a substantially figure 9 cross sectional configuration. 